A mild feeling of pain, a squeezing discomfort in your upper body? Dare not ignore! These may be the warning signs of a major heart attack.
The heart which is at the center of our circulatory system is one of the vitalmost organs of our body. It is a muscular structure made out of a special type of tissue, called the heart muscle tissue or cardiac tissue, which is designed to expand and contract relentlessly till our last breath.
This process of expansion and contraction of the heart muscles manages a very vital function, the circulation of blood inside the body which is performed by an intricate network of arteries and blood vessels. Heart attack is said to happen when by some means or other the blood supply to the heart itself gets obstructed and is a serious condition which is very much preventable if you are aware of the symptoms that may cause heart attack.
Below is a list of most common symptoms which indicate that you are at a formidable risk of getting a heart attack.
- Chest Discomfort: Are you feeling a mild and momentary pain in your chest lately that lasts for somewhere around moments to a few minutes? This may indicate something terribly wrong with your heart. This condition, in medical terms is known as angina and is caused due to the muscles of the heart not getting enough blood supply. If you are experiencing this type of discomfort continuously for over a week or so consider visiting a cardiologist and get yourself diagnosed at the earliest to prevent a future heart attack.
- An uncanny sensation in your upper body: The arteries in the lower part of your body are supported by the pull of gravity and hence blood flow is relatively easier in these areas but for the upper body parts like the arms, eyes, brain, your heart needs to work against gravity to pump blood. Hence, any irregularity in your heart function will affect the blood flow in these areas causing discomfort. So a mild tingling sensation in your arms, or any other part of the upper body means a formidable risk of getting a heart attack and in case these symptoms persist for a few days get yourself diagnosed at the earliest.
- Lightheadedness, Nausea and Vomiting: Lightheadedness is a symptom that is often associated with any kind of cardiac malfunction since the blood supply to the brain becomes irregular to some extent. Loss of appetite coupled with nausea and frequent vomiting if persists, with the above symptoms may indicate that your heart is not well and needs some attention.
- Jaw, Neck or Back pain: Are you experiencing a pain in your jaw, neck, shoulders or back, which is not something that is your regular muscular pain or pain from any mechanical impact ? Is the pain so deep rooted that you are not able to understand its origin? This may be the warning sign of a heart attack. The jaw, neck and back contain those muscles which suffer most of the mechanical movement inside our body, everytime we talk, move, lift and even blink our eyes, and hence they require a good amount of blood supply. If the heart is diseased then it is very natural that these muscles lack their share of blood indicating that you may get a heart attack if not diagnosed at the earliest.
- Shortness of Breath: Has your breathing become irregular, or you require more deep breaths to support your body? Maybe your heart is not able to work properly. Get help from your cardiologist today since it is one of the most confirming symptoms of a heart attack.
The lungs take air from the outside and store it in the alveoli, which are tiny air filled sacs. When blood comes in contact with the alveoli, the hemoglobin, a protein inside your blood, takes out only the oxygen from the alveoli and binds with itself and deposits the carbon dioxide in the lungs to be exhaled with your next breath.
If your heart will not be able to pump enough blood inside the lungs due to it being diseased, lesser amount of oxygen will be received by the body making you feel shortness of breath. This is the most deadly symptom of a heart attack.
As per the data of the world health organization, heart attack, from an epidemiological point of view, has had a major impact on human society in the past two decades and is a major cause of loss of life and/or livelihood. This is totally preventable if you are able to understand the precursors of a heart attack and get yourself diagnosed at the earliest.
Heart attack as said before, is caused by a clot in any of the arteries inside your body and all it takes to reduce the risk is to medically remove the clot and restore the blood supply along with a healthy and disciplined lifestyle to ensure a happy heart and a happier you.